At The Top of the Wall
by Lady Of The Semicolons
Summary: It is never said what happened to Eiko Carol's parents. Told from the view of Eiko's grandfather.


Don't own Final Fantasy. The words in bold are taken directly from the game.

At the Top of the Wall

_Diary of Octavius Aster_

_It has been nearly six years since that fateful horrendous storm struck Madain Sari. The village still has not fully recovered; so much young life was lost. I considered myself lucky at the time, not because my own life was spared, but because my daughter's was. _

_I remember how much joy was felt by the whole of our village—which was only a quarter of what it had been before the storm—when my daughter married a young man named Anthony Carol one year after the tragedy. Being remarkably skilled in white magic, Almandine had saved Anthony. Without her help, he would have died of his wounds._

_Even more happiness—as well as pride from myself—came three years later when Almandine gave birth to a child, a daughter. They named her Eiko, and the whole village loves and looks after her._

_Eiko's first birthday was three weeks ago. As might be expected, it was a big deal for everyone in Madain Sari. But not long after that, her mother fell ill. It wasn't long before she was confined to her bed night and day. Whatever her malady was, no one else seems to have been affected. But neither herb nor white magic did any good. _

_Yes, Almandine died three days ago. It still hurts, but at least I have recovered enough to do more than lock myself away and weep. Almandine's mother, my wife, had died in childbirth. The grief was the same then as it is now._

_Anthony has taken his wife's death very hard. I am a bit worried about him. I offered to stay with him to help out with Eiko, and much to my relief he accepted. He loses his focus a lot, always zoning out of reality. I've also noticed he shakes involuntarily a lot. Well, it was certainly quite a blow. He's probably never lost anyone like this. All the same, I am concerned…_

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Octavius Aster looked up. He could have sworn he'd heard the front door open and shut. But the hour was so late… he had to have been mistaken. All the same, he decided to check. He paused at Anthony's room. It was empty.

The front door had indeed been open; it was still partly open. Through the crack he could see a cloaked figure racing into the night. Without thinking, Octavius went after him.

The figure didn't seem to notice. It led Octavius through the still-ruined village of Madain Sari, twisting and turning. Before long, they came to the Eidolon Wall. At the side, there were a set of steps that led to the top of the Wall. Members of the summoner tribe went up here to burn incense and pray.

But this individual stepped over the little pyre and walked to the edge. They snapped their head, only now becoming aware of Octavius pursuing them. As Octavius had guessed all along, it was Anthony. He lowered his hood.

"Evening, Octavius."

"It's rather later than evening," said Octavius. "I'd say it's early in the morning. Awfully late for a stroll, don't you think?"

"I wouldn't call it a stroll."

"No? Then what are you doing up here?"

"Why did you follow me?"

"What was I supposed to do?"

"You're a good man, Octavius."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Anthony took a step closer to the edge. Understanding suddenly flooded through. "Hey now, get away from there!"

"Don't come any closer, Octavius."

"Anthony, think about this. You're distraught. You're not thinking straight."

"I _have_ thought about it."

"Obviously you haven't! What about your daughter, Anthony? You want her to grow up parentless?"

"You're a good man, Octavius. She'll be better off with you."

"Now wait just a damn second—"

"Considering you're the one who raised Almandine, she'll turn out fine."

"You're her father, not me!"

His face twisted up. "I'm a cursed man, Octavius! The less contact my daughter has with me, the better!"

"That isn't true, Anthony."

"It is! I should have died six years ago, and I would have deserved it. I'm a proud, idiotic coward, and I lost the people I loved most because of it. I deserved to die, and I should have. But then your daughter found me, healed me… I… I began to forget, began to be happy again. But I'm a cursed man, I really am. Those who get involved with me die—"

"Almandine's death was not your fault."

"The past isn't something I can bury. My wife is dead. My daughter is dead…" He was delusional. He had cracked. "Your daughter is alive, Anthony. You have to live, if only for her sake."

"She looked so much like her mother… so much like her mother…" He seemed to be talking more to himself now. Octavius was bemused; Eiko more closely resembled her father, except for her sparse purple hair. "And now Almandine is dead… as for the baby… I can't look into those green eyes without remembering the brown ones… claimed by the sea. And that baby will go the same way if I stay in her life."

"Look here, Anthony, you're talking crazy—"

"I never told Almandine. I should have. I was married once before. I had another daughter. They fled the storm on a little boat. Being the fool I am, I told them to go without me. There's no way they could have survived. Claimed by the sea, the both of them."

Octavius did his best to try to process this information. "I…"

"You're not sure if you should believe me. There is a message written on the Wall, signed by my name. I give you permission to read it. I wrote it before Almandine found me, before I was at the point of death, but before I knew I had a chance at life. Before I knew beyond a doubt they were claimed by the sea."

"Anthony—"

"Claimed by the sea… and now the sea will take me as well. Goodbye, Octavius." He jumped.

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_Diary of Octavius Aster_

_I just stood there at the top of the Eidolon Wall, at a total loss. I don't know how long I stood there. I finally picked myself up and made my way down the stairs. I went inside the Wall and began looking for the name of Anthony Carol. I finally found it, but I had to steel myself a fair deal before I could get myself to read it. This is what it said:_

"_**I survived the storm.  I wonder if you two are okay?**_

_**I see the two of you smile  every time I close my eyes.**_

_**I imagine I see you  when I open my eyes.**_

_**I have a mortal wound.  I won't be able to wait  for you very long.**_

_**I regret being so unemotional  for all these years.**_

_**I'm writing down everything here  in the hope that you'll read it someday.**_

_**To my dearest wife, Jane, **_

 _**Although we fought many times, and I may not have shown my affection  enough, I love you very much.**_

_**To my beloved daughter, Sarah, **_

_**My life changed when you were born.  You made me happy.  These are the things I want you to know."**_

_There aren't that many more young people in Madain Sari. Whatever Anthony might have thought, it did not need to end this way._

_I don't plan on telling any of this to Eiko. I don't think I could have the heart to. If, by chance, you are reading this, Eiko, I am sorry for not telling you. I hope you understand why I did so, and that you'll forgive me._

_%%%%%%%%%_

_Note: _an almandine is a type of garnet with a purple tint


End file.
